Each year we move forward into a wonderful space of creation for the upcoming year. We also have an opportunity to look back at the past year, and then to look forward, to make adjustments to improve the quality of service for our customers, vendors, employees, and community.

Each of us can become a change agent to make a difference. Not only can one person create dramatic change, but one action can. Think about just one thing that would surprise and delight your customers (internal or external customer). Just one thing.

When you give a great service, customers appreciate you more. When you give bad service, customers can be a pain in the neck. The other view is also true. When you are an appreciative and considerate customer, service providers will often serve you better. If you rant and pound the table, people will serve you grudgingly if at all.

Here are the tips I use to be a better customer and enjoy receiving better service:

Occasionally, into each life, a little rain must fall… in this case, the “rain” is an unhappy customer; this isn’t an “if”, it is a when. When you are in business, and you deal with customers, be it internal customers (employees), external customers (paying customers and clients), or your service partners (distributors, vendors, etc) – eventually someone will feel unheard, uncared for, or mistreated. Should this unhappy customer ruin your day?

Going away on holiday is an ideal time to experience service from traditional service providers: airlines, hotels, restaurants and retail operators. As a member of the UP! Your Service team, I recently traveled overseas on vacation, and was eager to experience the the service cultures and individual service providers I encountered. I thought it would be fun “field work” (much to the dismay of my family) and an opportunity to get fresh insights on service in new places.

What came of my experience, however, was much different than a collection of evaluations about service and service providers.

6. Fuel for an Uplifting Service Culture

• Complaints can work as a trigger for taking new action and catalyzing positive change.

• Sharing customer complaints throughout the organization educates everyone to understand what your customers experience, expect and insist upon receiving.

• Complaints prevent complacency. New problems keep humility high and teammates on their toes.

When things go wrong, your customers will complain. Surprisingly, this can be good for you and constructive for your organization.

Here are 10 ways customer complaints can benefit you and your organization.

Profitable every year since the beginning, Singapore
Airlines (SIA) frequently wins international awards for
top customer service and in-flight quality. Here’s how they do it.